Cooking Bananas vs. Dessert Bananas
Not all bananas are meant to be peeled and eaten raw. There is a major distinction between dessert bananas (which are sweet when ripe) and cooking bananas (which are starchy and used like a vegetable). Some varieties, like Dwarf Namwah, bridge both categories — starchy when green, sweet when ripe.
Dessert Bananas
These are what most people think of as "bananas" — sweet, soft-fleshed fruit eaten fresh. Varieties include Dwarf Cavendish, Grand Nain, Blue Java, Red Dacca, Lady Finger, Gros Michel, and Manzano.
Cooking Bananas (Plantains and Others)
Cooking bananas are starchier, firmer, and lower in sugar than dessert types. They are a dietary staple in many tropical countries and are used much like potatoes — fried, boiled, baked, mashed, or grilled. Varieties include Orinoco and various plantain cultivars. Dwarf Namwah works as either cooking or dessert depending on ripeness.
Common Cooking Methods
- Tostones — Green plantain slices fried, flattened, and fried again
- Maduros — Ripe plantain slices fried until caramelized
- Boiled — Green cooking bananas boiled as a starch, common in Caribbean and African cuisine
- Grilled — Ripe or semi-ripe bananas grilled in their skin until soft
- Mashed — Boiled green bananas mashed like potatoes